How to turn a movie from computer to TV via Xiaomi WiFi

Modern Xiaomi Mi TVs and Mi Box consoles have become powerful multimedia centers that can play high-resolution content without delay. However, embedded applications can not always reproduce specific video formats or local archives that have been accumulating on your PC’s hard drive for years.

Fortunately, the Android TV ecosystem on which Xiaomi devices are based provides a host of built-in tools for wireless connectivity.You don’t have to buy extra HDMI cables a few meters long or complex adapters if the router is stable.

In this article, we will take a look at all the current video streaming methods, from standard Windows operating system functions to specialized media server software, learn how to configure image streaming through Miracast and DLNA protocols, as well as how to avoid common buffering and picture quality issues.

Network requirements and equipment preparation

Before you start setting up your broadcast, you need to make sure your local network is ready to transfer large amounts of data. The key is to have both devices on the same subnet, which means that both your computer and Xiaomi TV must be connected to the same router.

If you use a dual-band router, make sure both gadgets are connected to the same frequency.The ideal option is the 5GHz band, which provides enough bandwidth for streaming. 4K-2.4 GHz frequency may not be able to handle heavy files, causing image twitches.

⚠️ Note: If your computer is connected to an Ethernet cable and your TV is Wi-Fi, make sure that your router settings do not include customer isolation (AP Isolation, otherwise devices will not see each other on the network.

It’s also worth checking the versions of network card drivers on your PC and updating your TV firmware through the Settings menu → About TV → System information. Outdated software often contains bugs in implementing network protocols, which interferes with stable connection.

Screen broadcast via Miracast in Windows 10 and 11

The fastest way to display an image from the entire desktop or a particular browser window is to use Miracast technology. Windows has built-in support for this standard, making the process as simple as possible for the user. Xiaomi TVs automatically support receiving the wireless display signal.

To start, press the Win + K keyboard on your computer. On the right sidebar, the Connection (or Connect) panel will appear, where the system will start searching for available devices. Your Xiaomi Mi TV should appear on the list.

Once you select a device, you may have a request to confirm your connection on your TV screen. Use the remote to accept the request. Now your PC screen is completely duplicated on your TV. You can run any movie in your browser or through a local player, and the image will be transmitted in real time.

It's worth noting that when you broadcast the whole screen, the load on the computer's processor increases, because it has to encode the video stream. If the movie is high resolution and the Wi-Fi signal is unstable, you can see the sound and video being out of sync, and then you'd better use methods that transmit the file itself, rather than the desktop image.

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Screen broadcasting (Miracast) is ideal for fast viewing of photos or videos from the browser, but can give a delay of sound when using heavy video file formats.

Use of built-in DLNA-Windows server

A better way to watch movies is to transfer the file itself over DLNA, in which case the Xiaomi TV decodes the video itself, receiving only a stream of data, which takes the load off the PC and provides better picture quality, since there is no double compression, as in the case of Miracast.

Windows already has a built-in media server. To activate it, open Settings through the Start menu and go to Network and Internet. Find Sharing Options and enable Network Discovery and File Sharing.

Then you have to give access to the movie folder. Right-click on the folder, select Properties, and go to Access. Click Sharing and add All to the user, setting read rights. Now the contents of that folder are visible on the network.

On Xiaomi TV, open the Media Player app (or "Mi Video"). In the list of sources, you should see the name of your computer. Once you enter it, you will find a shared folder with movies. The file will be launched instantly, playback control (pause, rewind) is carried out by the remote.

Application of third-party programs for streaming

Windows hardware is sometimes cranky and doesn't support some subtitles or audio codec formats, and in those cases, specialized applications come to the rescue that create a more flexible media server, and one of the most popular and free solutions is VLC Media Player.

Install VLC on your computer if it is not already installed. From the menu, select View → Playlist. On the left side of the window, look for Local Network and make sure you check the box "Enable DLNA Device Interaction." After that, start the movie, right-click on the video, and select Render, where in the list you find your Xiaomi TV.

Another powerful tool is to create a full-fledged server through Plex or Emby, which not only broadcasts a file, but also creates a beautiful library with covers, descriptions and cast. Xiaomi TV from the Google Play store will need to install the appropriate client application.

⚠️ Note: When using heavy server programs like Plex, make sure that the antivirus on your computer does not block incoming connections for the new application.

The advantage of using Plex is transcoding: If your TV can't read a rare format of video or subtitles, the server on your PC will recode the stream on the fly into an understandable format, which requires a fairly powerful processor on your computer, but ensures compatibility with any output device.

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For maximum compatibility of subtitles when streaming via DLNA, use the SRT format. Built-in subtitles in MKV containers may not appear on some models of TVs without transcoding.

Setup via Xiaomi Mi Home and Cast app

Xiaomi smartphone and app owners often use the Mi Home ecosystem app, but it is not intended for PC broadcasting, and Xiaomi TVs have a built-in “Cast” feature that is based on Google Cast protocols.

If you use Google Chrome on your computer, you can stream the tab or the entire desktop directly through the browser. Click on the three dots in the upper right corner of the browser, select Save and Share → Cast.

In the window that opens, select your Xiaomi TV. The browser will suggest choosing the source: tab, full screen or file. This method is convenient because it does not require installing additional software on the PC and works more stable than the standard Miracast on Windows, thanks to optimization of the Chromium engine.

Also worth mentioning is Wi-Fi Direct. Some TV models allow you to connect directly to them, without a router. On the TV menu, select Wireless Display or Miracast, and on a PC, search for Wi-Fi networks, find a device with the name of your TV. After connecting, act as if you were broadcasting a screen.

Resolving problems and frequently asked questions

Despite the ease of setting up, users may encounter difficulties, and the most common problem is that the computer can't see the TV on the network, and 90 percent of the time, this is solved by checking the type of network in Windows: it should be "Private" rather than "Public." In the public profile, the system blocks the detection of other devices.

The second common issue is desynchronization of sound, and if the actors' lips don't get into the voice, try using the audio delay feature in the TV player (like VLC for Android TV), and reducing the flow quality in the server settings also helps.

Set up a wireless connection between your computer and your Xiaomi TV, you can access a huge array of content, and using these methods, you can enjoy high-quality movies on a large screen, controlling the process with the convenience of a remote or keyboard.

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For stable viewing 4K-Prioritize wired PC connection to router and use 5GHz Wi-Fi for TV.